


All For You

by twdsunshine



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 04:51:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17636282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twdsunshine/pseuds/twdsunshine
Summary: The reader and Daryl Dixon have been together since the farm and, during that time, he’s become home to her.  So, when she catches Merle sneaking out of the prison, she has no choice but to go after him and ensure that he stays out of trouble.  For Daryl.





	All For You

**Author's Note:**

> This was an anonymous request on Tumblr that turned out slightly differently to how I imagined it. Anyone who’s read my stuff knows I like my flashbacks and so that’s kinda what happened here. Also, for the purpose of this fic, Merle didn’t take Michonne when he left the prison to meet the Governor. I really hope it’s kinda what you wanted, Anon, and that you enjoy it. Thank you for reading!
> 
> ‘I was wondering if I could request something where the reader and Daryl had been together since the farm and the reader goes after Merle when he leaves the prison to try kill the Governor and she saves Merle’s life before the Governor can kill him, but in the process the reader gets badly hurt and when Daryl finally gets there he and Merle have to somehow get you back to the prison so Hershel can help you before it’s too late?‘

Voices.

There were definitely voices.  Thick and confused, perhaps far away, but voices all the same.  They clashed against the ringing in your ears, persistent and shrill, until it all become a jumbled cacophony that made your head ache.

And then a distinctive gravelly drawl cut through it all, and your heart skipped a beat in response.  Daryl.  Daryl was here.

But where?  Where even were you?  Why was it so dark?  And why, God, why did you have this pain in your head and in your leg and… well, just about everywhere really?  Why did it hurt so bad?

 

* * *

 

_The crunch of the undergrowth beneath your boots was deafening to your ears, cutting through the silence and making you wince at every step you took, but the man you followed remained oblivious to your presence.  He paced along the road with long, confident strides, and you hurried to keep up, ensuring that the shadows of the trees hid you from his view should he check over his shoulder for any sign of danger, but he didn’t.  He was single-minded in his task and on he marched, like a soldier, heading off to battle._

_It had been early when you’d seen him sloping out of the prison gates.  There was something about the way he moved, the tension in his body as he glanced around for any witnesses to his escape before he made a dash for the trees, that had set you on edge, and you’d barely debated with yourself before you followed, waiting until he was out of sight before descending from the guard tower where you’d been keeping watch, and hurrying to catch up.  You’d been walking for miles since then, wishing that you’d had time to pack supplies for the journey as the heat prickled at your skin._

_You had no clue where you were going.  You had no clue what the man’s destination might be.  But you needed to find out.  Not for you.  You didn’t much care for the man, having decided almost immediately that he was a pigheaded brute.  But he was important to the one person that you loved the most in the world, and so you’d keep going, keep following, until you figured out exactly what was going on.  You owed it to Daryl and, for him, there was nothing you wouldn’t do._

 

* * *

 

Daryl.

Daryl Dixon.

That voice, the one you could hear more clearly now, closer than you’d first thought.  The same voice that woke you each morning, and bid you goodnight in a low rasp as you drifted off to sleep in his arms.  The voice that had whispered to you through the darkness of the night, in the little tent you’d come to share at the Greene’s farm, about how terrified he was: of not finding Sophia; of letting the group down; of falling in love with a girl he still barely knew; of not being enough for whatever came next.  That voice was home to you now, wherever you heard it, whatever words spilled from those chapped lips… So long as it was nearby, you knew you’d be okay.

Your throat was dry when you opened your mouth to speak, but still you forced his name out, failing once and trying again.  ‘Daryl?’

‘Y/N?  Did ya hear that?  She’s awake, man.’

‘She is?’

‘She jus’ spoke!  Din’t ya hear her?’

‘Sorry, brother.  I didn’t hear nothin’.’

‘I swear…’

‘Daryl,’ you said again, swallowing hard as you fought to moisten your tongue.  ‘Daryl, I’m sorry.’

‘Ya don’t gotta be sorry, girl.  I’m here, alright?  I’m gon’ get ya home.’

* * *

 

_You’d managed to keep your whereabouts hidden until the man had decided to hotwire a car.  He’d tried several on his journey, each time finding them with dead batteries or no gas or just too drenched in gore for his stomach to deal with, but when he stumbled across the motel parking lot, it seemed his luck had changed.  There were a variety of abandoned vehicles to choose from, and one surely would get him to where he needed to be.  Still, you lurked out of sight, despite the knowledge that, when he got one of them running, you’d lose him for sure._

_He disappeared from view as he ducked beneath the wheel of his chosen car, meaty fingers fumbling with the wires, only for a shrill alarm to pierce the air.  You’d clamped your hands over your ears, grinding your teeth together as you waited for him to silence it, but the silence never came._

_‘C’mon,’ you muttered under your breath.  ‘Shut it up, c’mon.’_

_But it was too late.  The alarm could be heard from miles around you were sure, and the telltale shuffle of undead feet might be drowned out by its deafening trill, but the growls of the walkers were still just about audible.  A bony hand clutched at your shoulder and you pulled your knife from your holster, sliding it into your attacker’s skull like it was butter.  The corpse dropped and you whirled around, searching for more, but the majority of the bodies were pouring in from the other direction._

_The man in the car was quickly becoming surrounded, but he seemed oblivious, failing to reemerge as he fought to quiet the alarm and get the engine running.  Closer and closer the undead stumbled, until you knew you had no choice but to act.  Pulling your gun from where it nestled against your hip, you raised it in front of you and began to shoot, launching yourself into the fray._

_‘Merle!’_

 

* * *

 

Of course.  Merle.  It had been Merle that you’d been following, the other voice that you could hear speaking with Daryl in hushed tones.  You’d struggled to place it before, despite knowing that it sounded familiar, but now it was all falling into place.

‘She’s losin’ a lot o’ blood, baby brother.’

‘Don’ matter.  We’ll get her back to the doc.  He’ll patch her up.  Be good as new.’

‘We’re a long way from the prison right now.’

‘So, help me move her, dammit!’

Strong arms slipped beneath your body, and pain shot through you, your muscles tensing as you were lifted clear from the ground.  The smell of leather and an earthiness that could only ever be Daryl filled your nose, and you clung to it, anchoring you to the world, though your head lolled lifelessly against his shoulder.

You tried to cling on, to listen to what they were saying, to count Daryl’s steps, but every one sent another surge of agony pulsing through your veins, and it wasn’t long before everything faded to black.

 

* * *

 

_‘Should turn this car ‘round ‘n’ take ya straight back to the prison, tha’s what I should do,’ Merle snarled, his voice dripping with venom.  ‘Or jus’ kick yer ass out here ‘n’ leave ya to walk back on yer own.’_

_He was driving fast, perhaps too fast, throwing the car around the narrow bends, his eyes constantly flicking between you and the road._

_‘You need me, Merle,’ you reminded him, fixing him with your own unflinching glare.  ‘I just saved your ass back there.  So, would you please just tell me where in the hell we’re actually going?’_

_For a moment, he fell silent, breathing heavily as he fought to keep his temper under control, but then he gave a shake of his head and began to fill you in.  ‘Ya know the Governor offered Rick a deal?’_

_‘What sort of deal?’_

_‘Give up Michonne ‘n’ he’ll leave the prison in peace.’_

_‘Rick would never do that.’_

_‘Thought about it.  Reckon he’d made up his mind to at one point, but he couldn’t go through with it.  Tha’s the problem with men like him ‘n’ my brother.  They’re soft.  Can’t do what they need to t’ keep themselves alive.’_

_‘And you can?’  You scoffed at his confident nod.  ‘So, why the hell isn’t Michonne sitting here right now, instead of me?  I’m guessing that’s where you’re going, isn’t it?  To meet the Governor in Rick’s place?’_

_‘Thought about it,’ Merle admitted.  ‘Had the ropes ‘n’ shit all ready to go, but-’_

_‘But what?  You couldn’t go through with it?’  He shot you a loaded glance, and you laughed.  ‘Wow, who’d have thought, huh?  Merle Dixon actually has a heart.’_

_‘Would cut little bro up,’ he murmured.  ‘He’d never look at me the same.  Even if I was jus’ doin’ it to keep him safe.  Wouldn’t matter.’_

_‘You’re right.’  Some of your hostility had melted away now that you knew that Merle was finally learning to put Daryl first, but you were still confused.  ‘So, what the hell are we doing then?’_

_His only response was a loud guffaw that did nothing to lessen your nerves._

 

* * *

 

‘Can ya get it runnin’ or not?  We ain’t got time t’ just stand around ‘n’-’

‘Cool it, Daryl, alright?  I’m tryin’ here.’

The snapped remarks cut through the darkness, though your eyes remained closed, the agonising pain of before lessening to a dull throb now that you were finally still.  

‘We’re gon’ lose light if we don’t get movin’ soon.

‘Ain’t gon’ get nowhere without a car, little brother.’

‘I know that but-’  Daryl was cut off by the rumble of an engine shuddering into life, and his sigh of relief ghosted over your face.  ‘Alright.  Let’s go!’

 

* * *

 

_‘Alright, ya ready for this?’  Merle’s words slurred as he took another swig from the bottle of liquor he’d found in the bar that stood before you, and you sucked in a breath, already wishing you’d stayed out of this crazy scheme._

_He was going to take on the Governor.  It wasn’t something anybody else would have dreamed of doing single-handed, but the older Dixon brother was just mad enough that his plan may actually work, given a bit of luck and a good shot.  And, you supposed, he wasn’t single-handed anymore, was he?  Because you were there, at his side, making sure he didn’t get his stupid ass killed, because that would destroy Daryl, and, from the first moment you’d melted into the archer’s embrace, you’d made it your sole mission to watch out for him, to keep him going.  You couldn’t let Merle die, but, as he twisted the volume dial on the radio and tinny music poured from the open windows out into the countryside, you began to wonder if either of you would make it out of this alive._

_It didn’t take long before the walkers emerged, stumbling towards you, jostling for position as they clawed at the hood of the car, and Merle’s eyes sparkled as he shot you a victorious grin._

_‘Are you sure this is gonna work?’ you asked, a tremble in your voice giving away your discomfort._

_‘Darlin’, ya just let Daddy work, alright?  All ya gotta do is sit there ‘n’ look good enough t’ eat.’_

 

* * *

 

‘She still out back there?’  It might have been the head injury that was still painting spots over your vision, but it almost sounded like concern in Merle’s voice.  You knew you were missing bits and pieces of the brothers’ conversation, could tell by the way that nothing made sense, and from the periods of darkness that seemed deeper than just the absence of light of closed eyes.  Each time you slipped back into consciousness, it was to the feel of calloused fingers stroking over your forehead, smoothing back your hair from your face, warm and gentle.

‘Can’t tell,’ came the gruff response from somewhere above you.  ‘Think she’s awake but she ain’t opened her eyes or nothin’.’

‘Not far now, brother.  Hold on.’

The volume of the engine increased as Merle gunned the gas, and the car lurched forward, speeding towards home, giving you the sensation that you might almost be flying if it wasn’t for the solidity of Daryl, holding you, keeping you close, as he murmured to you under his breath.  ‘Hold on for me, girl, alright?  Ya gotta hold on.  Can’t lose ya now.  Yer all I got to get me through.’

 

* * *

 

_‘Ya stay there, ya hear me?’_

_‘No!  I didn’t come all this way to hide, Merle!  I’m not-’_

_‘Ya came all this way to spy on me, if ya remember, ‘n’ I let a tag along ‘stead of kickin’ yer ass to the kerb, so ya do as I say.’_

_Your huff of frustration was lost on Merle, but you did as he said, knowing that time was of the essence.  The car had rolled on into the meeting area, drawing with it the herd of corpses that had amassed on route, but the two of you had bailed out already, darting out of sight and dropping into low crouches so the redneck could issue his orders.  Now, he levered himself to his feet and took off at a sprint, eyes scanning the buildings for a hiding place as he clutched his rifle, ready to shoot at any given moment._

_Left alone, you grit your teeth as the rattle of bullets sounded just yards away, cutting through the music that still spilled from the car’s stereo, and cursed him for not letting you enter the fray.  You could be useful, you knew it.  Daryl had taught you how to shoot, how to fight and defend yourself, and he hadn’t declared you ready until he was sure that you would be able to keep yourself safe from anything that might do you harm.  And now here you were, benched, despite the fact that Merle wouldn’t have even made it this far without your help.  The only reason you’d followed him in the first place was to make sure he wasn’t doing anything that might cause the archer pain, and now he could be bringing about his own end, and you were just sitting there, waiting for it to happen._

_Mind made up, you crept from the shadows, moving slowly, pulling your pistol from its holster.  Your pulse was pounding in your ears, adrenaline sparking through your veins as you neared the battle that raged outside the farm store, and you hesitated for a moment, dropping behind a parked car as you took in the scene spread out before you._

_Walkers advanced on Woodbury’s forces as they fought through the herd, oblivious to the ambush that they’d found themselves in as, unnoticed so far, shot after deadly shot dropped their men to the ground.  Screams mingled with growls and snarls, and the air was heavy with the scent of death.  It took a minute for you to pick out where you thought Merle might be hiding, and the next body that dropped only confirmed that belief.  But, in that same split second that it became clear to you, it became obvious to each and every person there, as he tumbled out of the doors of the building, his blade jammed into the skull of a corpse._

_Immediately, the Governor’s troops rounded on him and he was dragged back inside, the soft thuds of flesh on flesh contorting your features in a grimace as the leader himself started forward to join the act of bloody revenge with a dark, dangerous look on his face.  You had to do something, now, or Merle wouldn’t make it through the next five minutes._

_Around you, the undead feasted on their kills, and the few living that remained outside continued to pick them off, taking them down one at a time.  The silos gave you cover as you skirted around them and took off towards the back of the building where you could hear the beating growing in intensity.  If you could just see what was going on, you’d be able to think of what to do, how to get Merle out of this and lead his attackers away.  But, when you skidded to a halt, it was to see that there were no windows at the rear of the building.  Just a rusting ladder that led up to the roof.  You checked left and right to ensure that you hadn’t been followed, before you slid your gun back into place on your hip and began to climb._

 

* * *

 

Fingers probing.

A sharp stabbing pain.

More voices.  Quiet and afraid, or kind and calming, or panicked and desperate.  Snatches of conversation breaking through the buzzing in your ears.

And then, finally, stillness.  Silence.  A warm hand that came and went, stroking along your arm, through your hair, cupping your face.

And a lessening of the pain, so gradual that you almost didn’t notice it at first.  

Coherent thoughts began to form again, awareness telling you that you were in familiar surroundings, even if you still only hovered on the brink of consciousness.  Your bunk.  Your cell.  The sounds and smells of prison life going on around you as you lay there, broken, waiting.

 

* * *

 

_From your position high above the fight, peering through the skylight, already cracked, pieces of broken glass glinting at you from the floor beneath where they’d fallen from the frame, you could see Merle struggling to hold his own.  For the moment, the Governor was watching the beatdown, biding his time, but he had the promise of murder in his eyes, and you swallowed hard as you levelled your handgun at the head of the soldier whose fist was poised above the redneck’s face and let a bullet fly.  He dropped, and heads raised, searching for the source of the shot, while Merle slumped to the ground.  But the ceiling was high and the sun was blinding as it shone through the little glass that remained, and so you were hidden from their view, even as you took down another man, and another, and another._

_Merle was on his feet now, hands balled, waiting for the attack to resume, and the Governor was advancing, growing tired of his declining numbers and eager now to get this over, to finish this so he could get the survivors outside home.  This was it.  Your moment.  He was in your sights and your finger twitched against the trigger, but the deafening crack that ripped through the air wasn’t from your gun.  You cried out as the roof beneath you gave way and you plummeted to the ground, falling in slow motion only to hit the concrete hard, the broken glass biting into your skin and tearing at your jeans.  Pain jolted up your leg at the impact, and your head glanced off something hard and sharp, making the room spin around you._

_‘Well, what do we have here?  You got yourself a little girlfriend, Dixon?’  The Governor’s tone was condescending and laced with amusement, even as you fumbled for your gun, but he kicked it away before you could find it, the metal scraping as it spun out of reach._

_‘Go to hell,’ you snapped, silenced when the toe of his boot collided with your ribs._

_You squeezed your eyes shut as you fought to keep your tears at bay, and when you opened them again, you found the barrel of his gun pointed at your face.  ‘Somebody oughta teach you to have a little respect for your elders, miss.  Really, it seems a shame to have to waste such a pretty little thing, but needs must, I guess.’_

_A shot rang out, at the same time as a muffled grunt fell from the Governor’s lips and, instead of penetrating your skull, the bullet buried itself in your thigh as Merle launched himself at your attacker, knocking him to the ground.  All you could do as they scuffled, fighting for the upper hand, was writhe in agony, your hands pressed to the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood that seemed to be pumping from you at an alarming rate.  It hurt, God, it hurt so bad, but you had to hold on.  You knew you had to.  For Daryl.  You had to hold on for Daryl._

 

* * *

 

‘Y/N, can ya hear me?’

For the first time in what seemed like forever, the fog in your mind cleared, and you blinked blearily, your eyes focusing in on the familiar face hovering above you.  A smile quirked your lips and your hand reached up to lace into the messy dark hair that fell across that face, pushing it aside so you could take him in.  Daryl.  ‘Hey, you.’

‘Hey, yerself.  Ya had me worried for a while there.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Ya don’t gotta be.  I’m just glad yer okay.’

‘Am I?  Okay, I mean.’  You felt okay, or better at least, but you knew you’d been hurt pretty badly.

He nodded, big hand covering your own, linking your fingers together and giving them a gentle squeeze.  ‘Doc gave ya the all clear.  Said ya’d be fine.  Just needed a li’l time t’ do some healin’ or somethin’.  Might take a li’l while to get ya back on ya feet though.’

‘And Merle, is he-’

‘He’s fine.  Told me what happened.  Wha’ the hell were ya thinkin’, girl?  Goin’ runnin’ off after him like that, gettin’ yerself in the middle of him ‘n’ that psycho?’

‘I-I didn’t…’  Your mouth was dry and you swallowed hard before you continued, your voice hoarse.  ‘I didn’t know where he was going to start with.  I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get himself into trouble.  And then, when he filled me in, I couldn’t just let him do it alone, Daryl.’

‘Why the hell not?  He’s old enough ‘n’ ugly enough to fight his own damn battles.  If he wanted help, he shouldn’a gone off on his own to try ‘n’ fix things.  Jus’ ended up makin’ everythin’ ten times worse.’

‘Because I know you couldn’t bear to lose him again,’ you confessed, and Daryl cocked his head to one side, studying you intently as you went on.  ‘I saw what it did to you when you lost him the last time and you just got him back.  I know it hasn’t been easy, but…  He’s your brother.  He’s family, right?  And I wanted you to have that again.  It was all for you, Daryl.’

He sighed, his gaze dropping to where your hands lay on your stomach.  ‘Yer stupid, ya know that?  Ya did all this so I wouldn’t lose Merle, ‘n’ I almost ended up losin’ you instead.  Ya know what that would’a done to me?  I can’t lose ya, Y/N.  Yer all that keeps me goin’ most days.  Can’t do this without ya.’

‘But-’

‘No, no but’s,’ he cut you off, before you could protest.  ‘Yer my number one, alright?  So, next time, ya let Merle go off ‘n’ pull his crazy shit on his own.  The only thing I want ya to do for me is keep yerself safe.  Promise me that.’

When his eyes met yours again, their crystal blue depths were overflowing with emotion and worry, and you nodded slowly as you processed the weight of his words.  You were his number one.  Over everything, including his own family.  It had been hard work being in love with Daryl Dixon, a man who struggled to express any sort of emotion in the harsh light of day, but that told you everything that you needed to know.  ‘I promise.’


End file.
